About 800 people gathered at a newly refurbished Friends House in London for GBM’s
Annual Mission day on October 25th. The main meeting hall, now called ‘The Light’,
was more or less complete but for the sound system and a couple of rows of seats,
and our singing certainly tested the acoustics. Regular supporters mixed with crowds
of young people, with many first-timers saying how much they enjoyed the day.

From 11am to 3pm people crowded into rooms all over the building to hear presentations
from missionaries serving in Kenya, Brazil, France, Poland and Peru, as well as our
Radio team based in Abingdon. We introduced a new missionary, Kester Putman, who
is taking over as Coordinator of GBM’s Literature ministry on the retirement of Maciek
and Mary Stolarski.

Maciek and Mary received a special farewell in the final meeting. The final ministry
was brought by Sukesh Pabari, completing sixteen years in Kenya and now pastoring
a church in Clevedon, North Somerset. Sukesh is the first converted Hindu to preach
at this event, and preached through tears on the centrality of the cross from 1 Cor.
2:2.

Annual Mission Day is above all a gathering of churches, and the delegates meeting
approved important business. Genevieve Jennings and Peter Shirtcliffe were newly
elected to serve on GBM Council, and the delegates voted to transfer all assets into
the newly created GBM CIO. This means that we no longer need trustees to hold liability
for the Mission’s property, as it is now vested in GBM Charitable Incorporated Organisation
as from the first of January 2015.

The main afternoon presentation was called ‘Fruit that will last’, in which six different
sets of missionaries explained the central task of mission: making disciples and
growing churches that last. With a number of missionaries returning home, it was
a time to challenge the next generation to think about their service in mission.

The introductory video with a backing track from Andy Mayo, is available on the home
page for you to download free and use in your church.

Resources are also a big focus of the day. This year we published a new look GBM
Handbook and Annual Report, designed by Steve Devane (www.stevedevanedesign.com),
which is the best way to get to know our work. Individual copies are available from
Mission Centre, price £2.50 including postage and packing.

We have also published a new world map showing all the missionaries. Is your church
display board up to date? A1 sized maps cost £5 +p&p, and A3 sized maps £1 +p&p.

We have also produced a new DVD called ‘New Europe – after the wall came down’, which
is available for £4 including postage and packing. This covers the work being done
in Serbia, Latvia and Poland.